Fate of Choice
by AwakenDreams
Summary: In order to change fate, Naruto made a choice and took a chance only offered once in a life time. He re-ordered the future and the one to pay the price….was none other than the one he wanted to save. The world now redone how would team 7 do with this new chance? Will history repeat itself? Or will that happy ending actually come to pass? time travel team 7 centered
1. Chapter 1

Taking a break from my GW fanfiction. I have two chapters left to write….and I suddenly get hit by the Naruto fandom bug.

I was re-reading my old Naruto fanfiction and that will be the next edit project I go about doing it. It needs to be cleaned up and edited (I saw some silly mistakes). In that time I will connect the story better and write the next chapter.

As for this story! It is something I've been seeing. There have been a lot of time-travels stories. I am not sure if anyone has told a time traveling story like this one before.

Personally I haven't read any of them so if they seem similar, it just means great minds. As some simple facts

It will be a re-telling of Naruto. It comes from the What-If movie, Path to Sakura. I really like what they did with it so I want to go along the same lines.

A key note: Some events will remain the same, some will be different. I reserve the right to decide what has been changed! So if I say Orochimaru killed off all the Uchiha's….then he did.

By the way, that was joke.

Pairings: This will be Sakura-POV but the main couple will most likely be SakuraxSasuke with hints of SakuraxNaruto. Of course there will be a ton of NarutoxHinata.

In the end this will be a Team 7 centered fanfiction for the most part.

Disclaimer: I don't own it…..if I did, I would fix Sasuke's personality. It sucks.  
Summary: It wasn't supposed to be like this, this wasn't their fate. Naruto was sure that this wasn't how the story ends. It couldn't be! All the pain, all the death….everything he had done was to change fate. Yet, this wasn't the fate he wanted. This was after all the last thing he wanted.

In order to change fate, Naruto made a choice and took a chance only offered once in a life time. He re-ordered the future and the one to pay the price….was none other than the one he wanted to save. The world not redone how would team 7 do with this new chance? Will history repeat itself? Or will that happy ending actually come to pass?

Fate of Choice

Chapter one:  
What is fate?

It was a cruel joke, Sakura laughed bitterly as she coughed up blood. She hugged the wound on her side as she lay near the man who caused it. There he was, fallen on the ground, blood soaked and wounded. It was the universe, it hated them, Sakura reasoned again as she stared into his blind eyes.

The area around them was covered with fallen shinobi. The war as it stood would be over today. Whoever survived will have to carry on. Sakura thought of the rules and laws of being a ninja, there had to be one for this situation too.

"S-Sasuke…" Groaning, Sakura half dragged herself to his side. The attack landed a deep cut to her intestines and she would bleed out slowly, both internally and externally. "You weren't…suppose to jump in front of me." A little smile crossed her red stained lips.

"Shut up." The blind man growled out closing those broken eyes.

"It is…a little too late to tell me that sort of thing, we are both dying." Sakura laughed bitterly before letting her hand fall onto his bare chest. Funny, she suddenly remembered the last time she did this. It was that C-rank mission to the little village in the mist. Since then, they had many near deaths, many caused or inflicted by each other, and this was only the second time her head found his chest. Her mind snapped back to the events just before.

It had happened too fast.

It was the final show down. Naruto was busy ending this war … It left Sakura to handle Sasuke, and the others on his team fought with Shikamaru, Shino, Ino, and Chouji.

Sasuke had just handled a critical injury that she could have healed if it wasn't for a mysterious new comer. First he attacked her blocking her charka and before landing the finishing blow Sasuke had engaged him. For some strange reason the Uchiha was beyond livid.

Apparently only he had the right to kill her.

Too bad the fight with the mysterious man left him on death's door as well.

"Who said you can put your head here you twit." Sasuke grumbled but his breath was shallow…just like his words.

"After all this heartache….I want to die with my head rested on the man who ruined me." Sakura said softly wincing as the blood continued to spill. She was really going to die this time, and Sasuke was going with her.

Again Haku flashed in her mind as well as the demon known as Zabuza. Had they found each other in the afterlife? What was it like to be with the one you loved?

"you are an idiot."

"I know….I should have fallen for Naruto." Sakura felt tears stinging her eyes. "He'll be mad…you know." The words here soft as her head began to spin. It was coming death. Her body already felt heavy and cold.

"You should have…. idiot."

"We both are….hey Sasuke….?" The cold had crept to her chest now; she couldn't feel her legs anymore.

"hn?"

"I'm going to kiss you." With the remaining strength she had left Sakura moved to press her bloody lips to his. "Life's not fair….but" Sakura stared down at him and noted that he had stopped breathing. "It…it really isn't Sasuke-kun." The tears began to fall now as she burrowed her face into his chest. This time he wasn't going to wake up. This time neither was she.

And that was how her life ended.

In the arms of the man she loved Sakura had died in a bloody battle. It was a death most Ninja's would find romantic.

As the battle ended and survivors were accounted for, Naruto roamed the battle field. His team, he had to find his team. Walking among the dead he found them, a grin that went ear to ear as he raced over.

They had made up, Sasuke would say something about Sakura being annoying, and they would go back to Konoha as heroes. Yet, there was something unsettling in his stomach.

The man stopped and knelt to the ground, "hey guys! Guys! What are you two doing on the ground like this? Come on! We gotta go see the old lady…guys…Sakura this isn't funny…..Sakura really!" His voice choked as he touched their cold bodies.

"Sasuke…get up you bastard! You can't be dead! I SAID GET UP!" The blond screamed, "Sakura…Sakura really….I promise I won't play anymore jokes if you just open your eyes!"

He continued to scream shaking their stiff bodies.

They were dead.

He was alive.

And again he was alone.

"NO! NO NO NO NO!" Tears fell freely as he watched the shells of his friends. "THIS ISN'T HOW IT IS SUPPOSE TO BE! THIS…THIS…..this….."

"Do you want to change it?"

Naruto whipped around to see an old lady. She wore a thick gray cloak and carried a wooden staff. The old woman had soft curly gray hair and really looked more wrinkled than the 100 year old grandma that lived down the street from him.

"What do you mean…'change it?'" Naruto rubbed his eyes glaring at the old woman.

"Fate is nothing more than a chance happening and the choices made in those chances. This is your chance. Make the choice, do you want to change it?" She smiled at him, and Naruto should question this. She was a random old lady in the middle of a war field. Yet he didn't, he just stared at her before nodding.

He had lost too much.

The one thing he wasn't supposed to lose….the one thing that was supposed to survive this blood shed….hadn't.

"The price will be heavy… but you will not be the one to pay it." The old woman leaned forward looking into his blue eyes. "Choices and chances have to be re-ordered, the flow of time will change, this ending may come to pass or it may not. Will you risk it? Will you change their fates….will you change yours?"

Naruto blinked at her words but after a moment, nodded. "If I am there, I will help them with whatever price they have to pay!"

That was when the old woman smiled, "So be it. Change the fates, move the stars, let what has been done, be changed…..may this be the chance that will change what has been done."

She tapped the earth with her staff and before Naruto could question her, the world fell away. The last thing he saw was her laughing face.

OooooOoooo

Sakura felt warm.

She felt safe.

She floated within the white abyss that found her after her last breath. It wasn't like she thought of. There was nothing and was everything. She felt nothing but at the same time everything.

It was here she found herself at peace. Until in the milky haze she saw a face from her childhood. It was strange for some reason she thought it'll be Sasuke she saw first. That bastard would always leave her behind!

"H…Haku?" She mumbled softly floating towards the young man who changed her life as well as team 7.

"Hello….it seems you came to join me in the afterlife." His smile was warm as he gently touched her face. "What a pity….you grew up very beautiful."

Sakura blushed and stared at him for a long moment, "What…has happened?" Wait if he was here then where was Zabuza? She blinked a few times looking around in the white endless haze.

"This is where I have been since my death….I suppose it is something we call limbo. We are waiting for our souls to be judged." Haku withdrew his hand and floated backwards.

"Really?" Sakura hummed softly. "I like it here…Where is….Zabuza?"

She stared at him expectantly but a pain gripped her heart. Did he not make it? How long had Haku been here alone?

"So do I, it might be why I haven't passed on." Haku chuckled avoiding her question. "I don't think I will ever move on." So, Sakura thought to herself, He'd wait for Zabuza even in death. The nin just smiled at her, "Things are changing though, it is as if the restless dead have been vanishing. I only felt your appearance…along with that black hair boy. "

"Changing?" The pink hair woman echoed. Then for a moment Haku grew tense as he looked around the white haze.

"…what has he done?" Haku faltered a moment. "That boy….Sakura…"

And then he was gone, Sakura was once more alone.

Yet, she wasn't alone long, suddenly an old woman appeared. She smiled at Sakura and walked to her floating spirit.

"It seems the gods are with you three, this will be your one chance. Live well Sakura Haruno."

Before she could say another word Sakura felt a strong pull. It was like gravity. It pulled her soul back down to earth.

Gasping for air, the nin sprung up in bed. Breathing labored she grabbed her side for the wound that was no longer there. Eyes wide and unfocused she got out of the bed. Stumbling she tripped on some clothes left on the floor. Recovering quickly she whipped around at the strange room. Everything looked bigger than normal, the ground a mess with scrolls and notebooks, and a picture of one Sasuke Uchiha on the far wall.

She cringed at the image and went to rip it off the wall. Sakura didn't have a picture of the Uchiha since she was 14. Clenching the picture and ripping it apart she turned to figure out just where the hell she was. Her search was stop short though.

There in the full length mirror was a young twelve year old girl with long rosette pink hair. On her cheeks were thin markings that made her seem cat-like. A shaking hand went to touch the long three marks of her right cheek; her face reflected her emotions perfectly. It was pure terror and confusion. It was impossible.

This wasn't her.

Hands quickly lifting up the hem of her night shirt, her fears were confirmed.

The seal of the fox demon stood out on her pale white skin.

What the hell was going on?

TBC

Please Review! I love to hear the readers thoughts.

Note: Chapter two is about 90% done, and I will be going through and editing it. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I decided to scrub the last chapter. After thinking about it I found a better plot path I like more than the one that I first started. I've been scrolling over a lot of Naruto fanfiction. In truth I was trying to figure out how Sakura would react and think. I have only just recently been getting caught up to the now very flushed world that has been created.

Parts of it I like, others I don't.

As stated before going to be playing around with a lot of ideas, and the Path to Ninja movie has helped me think about all the 'what ifs'.

With that being said please Review! It encourages me.

Chapter Two

Sakura was close to passing out. The red ink on her stomach stood stark against the paleness of her skin. Carefully she traced the outline of the markings trying to understand how did this even happen? What was going on?

She had _died_.

And now she was alive, twelve, and apparently the host of the most dangerous creature in the world.

That just didn't happen because some old lady told her about choices and fate. This was all…it was all…

"Bullshit!" Sakura cursed to herself still staring at the lying reflection in the mirror. Trying to find reasonable explanations for this the young-old ninja brought her hands together, and tried to release the genjutsu. "Kai!" Screaming she tried to release whatever had its hold on her mind.

"Kai!"

"KAI!"

Five more times, she tried and tried. Falling to her knees Sakura just stared helplessly at her younger self. There was a part of her that didn't want to believe in all of this, that this was just some enemy trick, that she was dead….and this was her personal hell.

In this moment, she took the time to crumble to the self-pity. It however was only a moment long; she couldn't just sit here all day and wallow in the impossibleness of it all. A slender hand fell to her stomach. This was Naruto's burden, one she had helped him carry for the last five years. She knew well the risks he took, the dangers he had faced, and now all of a sudden the pack was now on her shoulders. Licking her lips, she thought about it.

Her Charka was all centered into the seal. Trying to see how much she could control it was sad to think it was less than her first time at being this age. The beast was so tightly coiled inside her she felt the whispers….wait whispers?

**What do you think you are doing idiot?**

Sakura exhaled a breath she didn't know she was holding. Her old friend, 'inner sakura' was back. She was her rock during the years of harsh training and over restraint.

_I was trying to figure this mess out. Everything has gone crazy….the Nine tails is locked inside of me and…I think my family is dead._

Jade green eyes drifted around the room; there was not one thing about her stupid, goofy, adorably annoying parents. Her father was a no-name Chuunin and her mother was just a civilian. There was nothing great about them beyond their love for her. Her father told stupid jokes that made no sense and her mother would nag at her for not putting her shoes away.

Beyond her own ability both in fighting and being a medic, that surpassed her own father, Sakura just had one other trait that set her apart from her peers. The 'inner Sakura' was her secret mental weapon. Her mind working differently than others, it protected her and helped her performed above average. It also gave anyone who tried to rattle her brain a very nasty surprise.

Somewhere between girl and woman the other self lost its voice. Instead it became integrated into her personality still making mental attacks difficult on the leaf-nin. So when the voice spoke back, clear and crisp in her mind, Sakura felt no need to question it. Instead the missing of anything related to her parents was a more paramount thought.

**of course they are dead, idiot. They died the night you were born.**

_Impossible…_ Sakura felt her eyes sting. It would make sense though, if she was now the host her parents… _They gave their lives so that the Kyuubi could be sealed within me._

_**That's right, why are you acting like you know them? You don't have time for this! **_The voice hissed at her, **You are going to be late for team assignments. Your chakra-less ass barely made it through! Now get yourself up and to the academy! **

Sakura winced at the rough sound of the voice in her head. It wasn't very inner-sakura like but hell everything has changed so what not her? Standing, the leaf-nin went to her closet and quickly pulled out a pair of shorts and a red sleeveless shirt with a hood. The normal red dress stared back at her mockingly. "No….sorry….I can't wear you anymore." Closing the sliding door to her closet she wore her only training outfit.

That would have to change, Sakura mused softly before grabbing the blue headband and placing it in its rightful spot. Jade eyes once again drifted towards the mirror.

Her flat chest, wide forehead, and baggy shorts gave her an appearance of a boy. If it wasn't for the long pink hair Sakura would say that she was a boy. The faint whiskers almost mocked her and made her jaw line stand out even more and made another masculine trait to add to the list.

"…..sometimes I wish I could have been a boy. A boy with pink hair…" Sakura groaned and touched her hair.

It was another one of her rare traits that went under the radar. Her father had pale gray-pink hair and her mother was a natural blonde. So how did she get this vibrant cherry blossom pink hair was beyond her. It only meant that her forehead stood out that much more.

Another groan and bout of self-pity, she cast one last look at the apartment dorm that was her life. Shaking her head, the leaf-nin moved to the window and bolted out of it. There was always time to figure out how her life was now, at the moment there was a very late teacher and she had to figure out where she stood in this world.

The brisk run to the academy only took ten minutes and as quietly as she could she entered the room. The other students were already bickering who was going to sit by the 'most wonderful Sasuke-kun!' as she picked up from one of the other girls. Sakura could just groan and remembered the days she was like them. She edged herself towards the back and without noticing she sat right next to Naruto. At first she ignored the stare that made her hairs prickle and extend upwards.

It wasn't until she heard a voice that only held warmth for her be twisted with irritation and malice did something click in her.

"What are you doing here pinky." Naruto's blue eyes narrowed at her as he stared at her.

"W-what?"

"You heard me, I asked what gave you the right to sit next to me." The person she couldn't possibly be Naruto continued to glare at her.

**teach that little bastard who is boss! You can sit where ever you damn well please. That little-**

"I can sit wherever I damn well pleased. You aren't the boss of me." Sakura returned his glare with one of her own. And for a moment, he was taken aback by the boldness of her statement.

"What was that? _Pinky_?" Again the blonde youth stressed the taunting name standing as if to intimidate her.

She returned his challenge with her own. Sakura stood not backing down from the fight. "I said you heard me bastard! I can sit where I want, but I don't see why I should put up with this. You clearly are still an idiot!"

Oh She was vivid! How dare Naruto treat her liket his?! Where was his undying affections for her? Where was his stupid smile? Where was the Naruto she knew!

"You!" He missed and all she saw was his fist coming for her face.

That was when her mind snapped and even without the years of training and muscle memory, Sakura's own hand flew up to catch it. Her fingers tighten their hold on his closed knuckles. "When you attack….be sure you do so with killing intent Naruto-kun." The pink hair girl hissed and shoved his fist back at him before jumping back.

The air in the room was still. Ah, she forgot again, fighting with Naruto was not a natural thing for her. Not yet anyways. Not with how things appeared to have changed. Sluggishly her eyes darted around the room. Then the whispering started.

'she just attacked the Yodaime's son!'

'Naruto-sama!'

'she is just like what our parents say…'

'they should have never allowed her in here!'

'why is she dressing like a boy?'

Oddly enough the last whisper she caught was what made her most irritated. Green meeting blue again, Sakura only nodded to Naruto before returning to the seat next to her.

Wandering eyes around the room the rest of the class took it as a sign to leave well enough alone. Closing her eyes once she thought about the strangeness of what happened. She always beat up on Naruto, and through all the fuzzy memories she couldn't remember once when he lashed out at her in anger. Not once.

Sasuke was the one always trying to kill her not Naruto. Never Naruto.

This world really was alien to her.

**You should have killed the little orange runt!**

Breathing out a huffed sigh Sakura opened her eyes to look at the staring Uchiha. There was a moment that she swore that he knew. He knew she wasn't the Sakura –they- knew. That she was different and was a total outsider…but then the moment passed. It faded as he raised a single eyebrow before turning his face away.

It was then Iruka-Sensei appeared and the assignments remained just like she remembered.

And just like she remembered, they were left alone in the classroom waiting for their forever-late teacher. Sakura sighed and leaned back in her chair as Naruto paced the front of the class.

"Where is he! He is over an hour late! What kind of teacher is this!" The orange blur grumbled with his arms crossed. His eyes went to Sasuke. "And we have to be paired up with that!" His finger pointed straight at her.

The dark hair boy only shrugged his shoulders, the long standing bored face still in place. "She is as annoying as you are dobe. I don't see me complaining."

Sakura just shook her head. "Look what is your problem Naruto?"

The blond stopped and glared at the two traitors who suddenly teamed up against him. "We are the top of the class while you barely rank anything! I mean you will be just dead weight. Sure you are a great on-paper ninja with your high scores but on real ninja missions. Pffft you'll just get yourself killed pinky!"

And Sakura was on him in seconds. All she saw was red as she charged the blonde her fist flying to his gut first. She was however surprised he was ready for her this time. Naruto dodged the first attack and moved to give her a round house kick. Quickly adjusting Sakura blocked the kick with her forearm and gritted her teeth as she was pushed back a few inches.

Without any Chakra to reinforce her muscles she was just another girl, just another rookie. About to pound him the old fashion way a black and blue blur got in the middle. A not so gentle shove and she skidded across the room, as well as her orange clad team mate.

"Enough." Sasuke glared at the two of them. "I will not go back to the academy because you two are idiots."

Grinding her teeth once again Sakura just nodded before storming out of the room.

Sasuke just sighed as he watched the pink hair girl leave the room. There was something different about her. Sakura never fought. She stuck to her books and memorizing information. Her levels with chakra were nonexistent. So why the overnight change after graduation? It was true teams are made up so there was some sort of balance.

Naruto was raw strength and his abundance of chakra. He himself was speed and when he would unlock his family, he would be the force behind the strength. As for Sakura, she was the thinker, much like Nara. She did not have a temper; she did not have the strength, and most of all she defiantly didn't have what it took to be a ninja outside the four walls of Konoha.

Black eyes went to the irritated blonde who was setting up some sort of prank. "Dobe what are you doing?"

"So when pinky comes back. This is going to land right onto her stupid mess of pink hair. That'll show her to start something with me!" Naruto grinned at him, and Sasuke could only sigh and shake his head. What an idiot best friend he had. "Why are you such an idiot? Do you know your scores? You were dead last in everything but raw power."

He saw the boy wince, "So! Just because she is smarter than me doesn't mean anything bastard!"

"Whatever idiot. If I didn't know better I would say you like that she tried to pound you to dust." Sasuke smirked as he watched a bright red blush cross his cheeks.

"I DO NOT! TAKE THAT BACK BASTARD!" Naruto wailed as he turned on him.

The Uchiha could only smirk. He had a hunch for a while now Naruto was crushing on the village's black sheep. She was a mystery even to him. The little bit of information he had wasn't enough to warrant too much of his actual attention….until today.

She was an orphan since the attack on Konoha twelve years ago. She had annoying pink hair that would attract as much attention on a battle field as an orange jump suit. Sakura was known for her ability to memorize and understand things she reads – information he had found out during their academic years together. She had a shy temperament and often let the girls who constantly surround him into submission.

Yet, the most interesting bit of information he had on her was that the Fourth had a special interest in her. He had always thought Naruto jealous of how the Fourth treated the girl but Sasuke wasn't really sure. He wasn't the type to truly ask his self-proclaimed best friend about it.

At the sound of the door opening Sasuke turned his face away from the prank. If the idiot wanted to get punched to the ground that was his problem to deal with. This Uchiha refuses to play hero for idiots.

But it wasn't the pink hair girl that got caught in the trap.

Instead it was their sliver hair teacher who got a hair full of chalk dust.

And behind him? Was a laughing pink hair girl instead.

It was going to be a long day.

Sakura couldn't help herself but laugh at the sour look on Naruto's face when he prank failed. She had left the room to cool off on the front swing of the academy. That was when Kakashi-sensei showed up. For a while she just sat on the swing while he sat up in the tree. The orange book out as he relaxed against the trunk.

They didn't have to say anything really. It was just nice knowing her teacher was there as she cooled down. Her guess was that he was watching the whole time. He was always watching.

Taking in another deep breath she jumped off the swing that was so classically Naruto's and now her's. She stared up at the leader of team seven and with a bright smile she turned to head back inside.

As if being polite but knowing what was waiting on the other side she let Kakashi open the door.

And the dead stare he gave Naruto before ordering them to the roof was priceless. Smirking at him from behind Kakashi, Sakura gave him a wink and a raspberry before vanishing to the meeting spot.

The three of them sat infront of their teacher and for a long moment Sakura felt a sense of repeating history.

Naruto was the first to introduce himself. It was roughly the same but there were small differences that Sakura picked up.

The Fourth was still alive.

That though echoed in her head over and over.

"I want to be the best ninja! I also want to surpass the old man and become the godaime! That is my number one dream and you better believe it! What I like…well I like Ramen, well I shouldn't say like I LOVE Ramen with lots of fish cakes. And what I dislike….I dislike annoying girls who think they are know it alls." His eyes were directed towards her before sitting down.

Rolling her eyes and putting on a sweet smile, She stood up next. "Sakura Haruno, and what I want to be is….is someone worthy of being a Ninja. I don't plan on letting my teammates down…not now not ever. What I like…I love sweet things like odango. What I dislike….I hate spicy things." Sakura took her seat and gave a pointed stare back at Naruto. He would not ruffle her feathers again.

Sasuke just grumbled about it all being stupid and annoying. He didn't stand instead folded his fingers in front of his face. "My dream is to surpass my brother Itachi-"

She couldn't help it a gasp escaped her throat as she stared at the Uchiha.

_Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute! Surpass? Not kill? Not revenge? What is going on?_

"Wait what do you mean surpass? I thought you hated your brother?" Sakura croaked out before she was able to stop herself.

Two pairs and a half of eyes stared at her.

"Why would I hate my brother?" Sasuke just stared at her blankly as she began to gawk.

Why…why would he hate his brother? I don't know he killed your whole clan for Konoha?!

"Pinky you have really gone crazy? Itachi sure he may be a mercenary now but he helped the old man protect the village and save countless people." Naruto snorted at her. "He is a hero."

"I'm….I….just forget what I said…go on Sasuke." Sakura felt her head spin in confusion.

Snorting in irritation, Sasuke continued, " I don't like a lot of things and I hate almost everything."

At least that part of his personality hadn't changed, Sakura exhaled deeply. Itachi a mercenary now? What about the rest of the clan? What is going on here? Was there still rebellion? The Fourth is alive but what about Naruto's mother?

"Well then, we have an interesting team. We will start training tomorrow at dawn….and I wouldn't eat anything in the morning if I were you." With that breaking her thoughts Sakura looked up at her disappearing teacher. Alone with the boys Sakura turned to look at them unsure what they made of her outburst.

Naruto glared at her before standing, "come on bastard let's get out of here."

This time Sasuke gave her one last curious look before joining his friend and disappearing as well.

And so Sakura sat there for hours thinking about how much different this world was. What she had found out had changed and what other surprises were waiting for her. Inhaling deeply Sakura left the roof top and wandered the village stopping only when she heard her name. Turning Sakura looked at a dark hair young man in his twenties. Half his face was covered but there was a warm smile that brought the pink hair girl to him.

"Sakura-chan! What are you doing looking so glum?" He smiled and pulled back the curtain to his shop.

A friendly face, even if she didn't know him, she needed this right now. Stepping inside she found that it was an Odango shop. Her eyes went around the small tea and sweet shop before sitting down. "I just….I just met my team and I don't know how I'm going to work with them."

The young man shook his head, and went to the counter. "First teams….man that seems really hard Sakura-chan. Tell me about them?"

Her eyes drifted around looking for his name. Should she tell him about her team? He just looked like a civilian. Not a spy. Sakura's mind was racing as she tried to figure out who this person was to her. "Naruto is rude. But…I guess I had it coming…karma and all."

"Sakura-chan?" Ha! She found it, there on the wall was a newspaper ad about this shop. Tobi Nakagima.

"Sorry Tobi-san…. I think I was a bitch in my past life and its coming to haunt me." She laughed it off taking the odango. She ignored the odd stare he was giving her with his one eye.

"Sakura-chan that is something….well very non-child like to say. You are still young!" The older man ruffled her hair a moment, "enjoy your childhood. Your name should reflect you."

"You mean flower that dies quickly?" The young nin shot back at him.

"A tree that blossoms every year in spring, while its beauty fades….it remains strong and endures until the next spring it can bloom."

Sakura grumbled but nodded. "You're right Tobi-san."

"Good!"

"You sound like Gai-sensei. With all this talk of spring time blooming." That earned her a choke and gag as the young shop owner thought of the green monster that rages on in youthful endurance.

So she let that one slip….Sakura smiled watching the horror on Tobi's face at the comparison. She had one friend. Even with just that, Sakura would endure. She would show Naruto she wasn't dead weight.

She would change the future.

She would fix her own mistakes.

She will endure and this time she will bloom.

TBC

Alright Tobi is actually who you think he is. I made that mistake and then I realized I really like that idea of him living in the village and being Sakura's Iruka in this story.

Thank you for reading and hope you like the next chapter!

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: If you read the second chapter before today please go back and re-read it. It has been completely scrubbed and re-done.

Short note, I've decided to write this in other POVs. I felt the story might be a little lopsided just from Sakura's know-it-all-ness.

I'll try and put markers in that will show the shift of POV.

Beyond, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I am trying to balance Sakura out since she clearly can't be an all powerful mary-sue. She however will stay true to her character. Sakura is a girl who tries her best, but really doesn't understand guys and sometimes her best actually hurts those close to her. She is after all the most 'human' of team seven because even though she does mess up, she never stops trying.

That being said….even knowing the future Sakura will fuck up in this story. So please look forward to it!

Chapter Three:

Sakura fell back onto the lumpy mattress that was her bed. Her time spent getting to know the village wasn't all that fruitful. Yet she did find some interesting things out. Tobi-san was someone she was very close to, him and his wife Rin. She had spent a good hour talking to the elder man who used to be a ninja – something that shocked her. After an accident which led to missing his eye, he was taken broken and bloody back to Konoha. His team refused to let him die crushed and alone.

The legendary nin at the time Tsunade was in the village and managed to save him. He had abandoned his clan and picked up life as a civilian in the city. It wasn't easy work thanks to the disownment of his own clan, Obito – now Tobi lived a new life. His former teammate took up being a medic-nin and for the most part fulfilled her duties at the hospital now. They had just gotten married five years ago, and he admitted to her, this was the first time in his life he felt that choice to stop being a ninja was the right one.

"I'm not saying you should question your decision Sakura, but being a Ninja is more than just missions. It is about the bonds you make, the precious people you protect, and how you protect them. I nearly died for that idiot I call my best friend….but…."

Sakura looked at him wide eyed, "But?"

"But god I'm glad I don't have to deal with his stupid face all the time now." Tobi grinned and laughed as Sakura fell over. "Tobi-san…"

"Find your happiness Sakura, and hold onto it until your dying breath." He gave her one last smile before shooing her out the door of his tea shop.

"Find my happiness…" She stared up at the cracking ceiling.

Just what would that look like? Sakura could only ponder as sleep took her small form.

OooOoooO

Kakashi looked bored at his mentor and Hokage. The yellow flash was musing over the report the sliver hair nin had placed on his desk.

"So she has been acting strange?" Minato raised a yellow eyebrow. "Well I do know my son can be a bit..what's the word…?"

"Annoying, loud, obnoxious?" Kakashi more than happily supplied the man the words.

Laughing he rubbed the back of his head, "Yes that. Think she finally had enough of that?"

Shrugging his shoulders Kakashi mused over the strange behavior of the Haruno. "I am not sure, she is acting like everything is new…and overly alert. I was not aware she was that good at her jutsu much less can even throw a punch Minato. The way she is acting I've only seen in Chuunins . It is like she is expect an enemy to appear out of no where."

"Well since you never actually passed a rookie team….we shouldn't worry? Right?" The fourth leaned forward and smiled at his former student. "Unless you are thinking of something different?"

"No, if they don't pass they don't pass. I won't have a team that does not have the ability to work together." Kakashi calmly stated in return.

"Very well, will you be late?" He grinned as if knowingly.

"mmmm I think I sense an old lady who will need help in the morning."

OoooOooooO

Sakura woke just before dawn and put on her training outfit from the day before. It was sad…she was pitifully broke. Actually it was lucky she could afford food and that itself drowned her normally cheerful spirits.

She will need missions, thinking about it in hindsight. They will be getting work, which means getting money. Which means getting decent clothes!

_Yes! The more missions we do the more money I can get. Then I can throw out these awful things and get something decent to wear. _

**Girl, what is wrong with your head! While I am for new clothes, we need to get stronger Hell yeah! I want to see that stupid orange's face when we pound the crap out of stuff!**

_Hey! Money first, pounding second, alright? I had a good life at the hospital and my goal will be to get it back!_

__"The hospital…." Sakura couldn't help but whisper it out loud. There was a strange ache as she realized a twelve year old rookie couldn't be saving lives, fighting on the front lines, or be given the same respects she had before.

A shake of her head, the rookie nin jumped out of her window and jogged to the training grounds. The sun was just peeking out and the sky turned from a dark blue to a soft cerulean. She had stopped for a moment and thought about eating something. She knew Kakashi was going to be late but was he watching them even now? No, she'll play by his rules for now.

It was just a little after dawn when they all three appeared at the meeting spot. Each of the three rookies of team seven stared at each other and Sakura couldn't help but smile. Naruto just snorted and Sasuke looked bored as they spent the next three hours waiting for the copy-nin.

"YOU'RE LATE YOU BASTARD!" Naruto screamed when he had finally shown.

"Ahh you see there was this cat….and then this little old lady! I just had to save them." Kakashi laughed rubbing the back of his neck looking at his three students. "So are you ready for training then?"

Sakura could only roll her eyes but stood nodding.

Sasuke was at her left and with a nodded Kakashi's only eye wrinkled in amusement.

"Your task….is to get these bells, whoever there are only two. The loser of this task will be forced to watch the others eat lunch." He smirked as he watched the faces of the three students.

Sakura only shook her head and glared at him.

"Just a reminder the only way you can get these bells is to come at me with killing intent. But you learned that lesson yesterday didn't you Naruto? You must always attack as if you are going to kill the person. Friend, foe, it doesn't matter. Without that edge….you will only be the one killed." Kakashi stared at Sakura, and she gulped in reply.

"Whatever! Let's just get this over with." Naruto's eyes went to Sasuke and with a nod the two disappeared leaving Sakura in the clearing with the infamous nin.

Looking around she wondered what this was supposed to mean? Her eyes met the single one of her teacher and it took her a moment to ponder.

_Could I take him alone? How much power do I actually have? Where did those two idiots run off to?!_

**Attack Sakura! Attack him and see! You have so much more power than you think you do!**

_This is supposed to be team work…but how can I function in a team if those two leave me high and dry!_

**Attack him and find out! Pound his smirking face in and pull off that senseless mask!**

"Shut up!" Sakura hissed out loud and blinked as she caught herself from saying anything more. Chakra…she needed Chakra.

Focusing what little she could into her feet she darted at the nin. She saw the surprise and took advantage of it, she switch stepped to the side moving to plant a deadly punch to his chest. If she was at her normal strength the punch would have broken a few ribs, instead her chakra-less punch only pushed him back a little. The action put her in a tough spot. Kakashi grabbed her by the offending arm and forced her down.

"You really intended to hurt me Sakura-chan." He forced her to her knees with a grunt. "Where did you learn to do that?"

Where are her stupid team mates! Grinding her teeth she refocus her chakra to the bending arm and tried to strengthen it against the Kakashi's grip. Taking a deep breath she pushed off the ground ignoring the twisting pain of her arm and swung a kick at his shins before darting back giving them space.

"Scrolls….I learned that from scrolls." Sakura was panting before eyeing the twin bells on his belt. "I've wanted to be stronger. I don't want to be the weak link anymore." This was more the adult Sakura of 25 talking. She didn't want to do little things for Naruto, no matter how much Yamamoto told her it didn't matter. She wanted to stand next to him proudly in battle.

It seems some things a person just can't grow out of.

Again she charged at him changing her style of attack. The inhuman strength wasn't there but it didn't mean she was useless. Her eyes darted to where they were watching and nodding once, she hoped that they were smart enough to see she needed help. That for once they would work together without being told to.

Focusing the Chakra into her feet she jumped into the air and went to plant a rough kick to their teacher's head.

The experienced nin moved to block the infused kick with his forearms. Only then noticing his mistake, with the Uchiha's speed he felt more than saw the black hair boy behind him, and from the front Naruto planted a solid punch to the jounin's stomach.

Sakura back flipped and she couldn't help but smile. They had worked together! They had did it! Relaxing she looked at Sasuke a beam in her eyes but she was really counting her eggs before they hatched.

One bell sailed over to Naruto. The other bell remained firmly in Sasuke's grip.

She would be the one who was going to suffering an empty stomach. Sakura eyed her teacher waiting for the speech.

"Well…you three really surprised me. Working as a team to get the bells…" His eyes focused on Sasuke for a moment before darting to Sakura. "It seems like you will be facing the punishment for your teammates though." Her heart sank, lowering her head she grumbled a moment before nodding.

Sakura found herself tied to the wooden training post with her teammates eating two wonderfully looking and smelling bento's. It was her signal! God damnit! Those bastards!

**You are such an idiot girl! You should have ripped that bell out of his hands hell yes! Now look at them eating all smug and that orange bastard! He is enjoying your pain!**

"Aaaaah it's too bad Pinky! This is sooooo good. But since I don't want to be kicked out and sent back to the academy you gotta suffer." Naruto took a bit of the chicken and made a sweet moaning sound. "Man! I wonder where Kakashi-sensei got this! How's yours bastard?"

Sasuke gave Naruto a glare, "Go feed her you idiot."

"What?" Naruto, Sakura thought to herself, looked ready to have a heart attack at his young age.

"She is the reason we won that stupid test. If it wasn't for her distraction I wouldn't have been able to get behind him. You wouldn't have been able to plant that punch. The point of it all was teamwork." Sasuke rolled his eyes and took a sip of the tea that came with the meal.

"The rules are rules Sasuke! He said we would be sent back to the academy if we fed her." Naruto pointed to herself. "I don't care how loud her stomach is rumbling, she should have grabbed the bells if she wanted to eat."

"Just feed her idiot, or I am going to kick your ass right here." Sasuke glared at the orange ninja.

"Why don't YOU feed her than?" Naruto hissed and crossed his arms.

"..how about you just untie me and I feed myself?" Sakura laughed humorlessly.

"Shut it pinky!" Naruto glared at her before snapping it back to Sasuke.

Sakura really hated that stupid nickname.

The two boys stared off at each other, neither willing to bend to the other. Finally Sasuke grunted and picked up his chop sticks. "Open your mouth Haruno."

Naruto gaped. "Wait a minute…are you really?"

"Breath one word about this to anyone Naruto and I will show you my killing intent." Sasuke glared at his friend as Sakura blushed.

"I…Sasuke you don't have to-" The little bit of rice was shoved into her mouth before she could finish her protest.

It was then the sky rumbled and grew dark. The three students turned to their enraged teacher who loomed over them. They were in for it. They were all going to be sent back to the academy!

"…You….guys….PASSED!"

Sasuke who looked ready to pass out from fear of failing, and Naruto who might have pissed his pants a little relaxed after the word 'passed' registered in their minds. "…what?" Sasuke was the first to speak staring at the nin.

"You two are selfish little brats, keeping the bells for yourself despite your teamwork. You let your weakest member be the bait and put herself in the most danger. You also let her take the punishment that should have been dealt to one of you for this failure." Kakashi crossed his arms, "Yet, you risked your own punishment in order to reduce her suffering."

"But wait! You said a Ninja who doesn't follow rules are trash!" Naruto shouted pointing at the strange nin.

"Yes, but a ninja who leaves their friends to suffer and hold the burden that belongs to the whole team is worse than trash. A ninja must never forget their bonds, their teammates, their friends." Kakashi just crossed his arms and nodded to the three of them.

Sakura was dumbfounded but didn't say anything because he was right. Closing her eyes she tried to hide her smile as Naruto grudgingly cut her ropes and she joined them for lunch.

"meet me on the red bridge at ten tomorrow, I will have your first mission!" With that their teacher vanished in a bunch of white smoke.

"Guess we are stuck with each other." She grinned and reached for some of Naruto's bento.

"Hey! That's mine pinky!" Naruto whined as he tried to pull it out of her reach.

"Too bad! Sharing is caring!" Sakura laughed as she stole a bit of rice and plopped it into her mouth.

Sasuke just shook his head and continued to eat his meal quietly.

OoooOooooO

The next month went by smoothly. Well as smoothly as it could go for team seven. It seems doing D-rank missions was a task even in another universe they couldn't do right. Most times they left the mission sloppily done and barely got paid. It was lucky that they got paid at all!

Sakura groaned as she relaxed against the hard woods of the Uchiha house. It also became apparent that Sasuke's house was the best place for 'group meetings'. The house itself was heavily protected by charms that Sasuke had paid for to be placed throughout the manor.

It seems the healthy paranoia of Sasuke was still in place in this world too. The first time she came here she realized he was still an orphan living alone.

Actually, Sakura sighed softly staring at the paper door. They all had lost something this time. Naruto's mother hadn't survived the attack and was killed when Kyubi was removed. She didn't dare ask Naruto about it but the grave told her enough. Actually the graves of those who died that night told her plenty.

So each of them were orphans in some way.

What brought them here today however was Sakura's own selfishness. She actually couldn't' stand how dusty and messy the Uchiha manor had become. Dragging Naruto along with her, and armed with a bowl of tomatoes she bribed Sasuke into letting them clean the house top to bottom. Three hours later and a plate of cold soba and tomatoes slices they were resting on the fresh washed and wax wooden floors of the dojo.

Naruto sitting cross legged in the middle of the floor while Sasuke took a spot closer to her left. As for herself she let her hair sprawl freely above her head with her back relaxing comfortably on the floor. "…hey guys…if I tell you something…will you promise not to tell anyone?" Her voice felt weak but she knew she had their attention.

"What is it pinky? That time of the month again?"

"hn."

Sakura just closed her eyes, "You remember the first day..you know when we were assigned each other?"

"yeah so what?" Naruto had moved closer and was now sitting at her right. "What is up, you usually aren't this serious."

"Something happened the night before…I …I was…." Sakura had thought about telling them the truth…but unsure of what to do. She couldn't act on her own, and she needed their trust. What if Kyubi broke the seal? What if she did something that she couldn't undo? What if she made the future worse than the one she only knew and barely remembered now?

Their trust was tentative now. She couldn't act like she knew everything before it happened. She couldn't predict everything…and something else….things have changed. No matter how many things appeared the same they weren't.

"I was attacked and…the reason why I act so strange is become I don't remember things…. Everything is jumbled up in my head and what I know…isn't really true." Sakura finally stated and opened her jade eyes to meet theirs.

"attacked?! By who?!" Naruto looked angry. He actually looked angry.

"I don't know…I just remember seeing darkness and when I woke up the next morning I didn't know anything. It is why when I went to the academy and when Sasuke talked about his brother I freaked out." Sakura sat up slowly looking at them. "I didn't want to say anything but…I am having these dreams." There was the second part to her half-truth. "Sometimes…I think I see what could happen. Like when I told you about the weeds or about that crazy cat before we even got the mission." Those were her two slip ups. Sakura had outwardly complained about the missions before they got them.

"So…you are saying you can see the future after you were attacked?" Sasuke sounded doubtful.

"Y-yes. But it isn't always complete…like these dreams give me a glimmer…like I know we will get a mission into Wave soon." Sakura looked at them a moment, "It will be really dangerous….really, really dangerous."

Naruto grumbled a moment and stroke his chin, "Yeah but nothing we can't handle right Pinky?"

Sakura just hung her head a moment thinking, "Yes. We can handle it."

Sasuke frowned, " Whatever, future or not. We will do it because we have to right?"

That made her pick up her head with a nod, "yes…but what are you thinking about Sasuke?"

"You don't know who attacked you or if I believe you, not saying that I do, these visions started then?" His glaze was harsh on her and Sakura wondered if he saw through the half truths.

"Yes…that's right."

"Hn." He turned away before slowly returning his glaze back to her. "What do you need to know that you have forgotten?"

Sakura felt the trembling fear ease away, "….Tell me about what happened to the Uchiha….please? That's the only thing I can't seem to remember."

Sasuke winced and brought his knee up and rested his forehead into the palm of his hand. Naruto looked uncomfortable as he sat next to his best friend now.

OoooOoooOoo

Sasuke wasn't sure how to react to Sakura's question. The topic of his family had been touchy but it wasn't something he was proud of. The Uchiha clan became misguided due to the struggle for power. He knew his father was corrupt the way he pushed his older brother. The whole clan seemed to be tainted by a darkness that Sasuke couldn't understand at his young age.

And so whispers of a rebellion whispered through the clan. They should be Hokage, they should rule it, the whispers spoke to the hearts of the clans men.

It however Itachi wouldn't be tricked. Instead he addressed his concern to the Hokage and in that confidence they had to root out the members who were the heart of the rebellion. The only issue was that would the clan be feared…or honored? Would the betrayal of one of the largest clan lead to civil war?

All of this was beyond his young age but he grew up in the aftermath of it all.

"The clan wanted to cause civil war in Konoha. They were not happy with how things were being handled by the fourth. That…." His eyes shifted to Sakura, he remembered his father's rantings. How he hated the 'host' of that monster. How dare they put it in his son's class. "That things had happened the way after the attack twelve years ago. My brother however didn't agree with him and went to the Hokage, he was willing to betray the clan in order for peace. I think he would kill every last member who threatened that peace."

He watched Sakura's eyes grow wide in shock before he continued. "After it was said and done…I was the last direct bloodline member left alive. My brother had killed all those who were connected to the plan…those who weren't like my mother however couldn't live in the village anymore." Sasuke sighed and rubbed his forehead. "It was for her own protection….and my brother made me stay here."

There was more confusion on her face than he would have liked, it meant questions. "Why…why don't you want revenge? What don't you want to kill your brother?"

"I think I did….I was so angry with him….he mocked me told me to hate him….told me was no hero of Konoha that he was just following orders and that I should try and kill him. –try- he said." Sasuke laughed, the hate still there, he realized. It bubbled and brewed deep within him. "But I won't, I'll just kick his ass for being an idiot and get stronger than him. I will surpass him and show him my way of living."

Sakura now had a different look in her eyes, "…I….I think that's really cool Sasuke."

Sasuke just looked away and snorted softly, "whatever, not as cool as knowing the future."

He couldn't help but smirk as a blush tinted her cheeks and this time it was her turn to feel the embarrassment. Revenge. He thought to himself, was often sweet when it was like this.

TBC

Please Review! It gives me encouragement! I also love knowing what you think.

So as you can see, things have started to change. I wanted to give it enough difference that you aren't reading Naruto but with Sakura acting the part of Naruto.

The next chapter will be focused on Wave and may be the last thing that resembles Naruto cannon so closely.

I may go back and edit this chapter but the next one should be a couple weeks from now.

Please Review! Again these brighten up my day.


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